Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A group of three to Flying Officer Pablo Geoffrey Suarez, Royal Air Force; together with an extensive archive of letters, papers and photographs relating to the Suarez family

France and Germany Star; Defence and War Medals, unnamed as issued, extremely fine (lot) £80-100

Pablo Geoffrey Suarez was born on 12 July 1918, the son of Pablo Suarez, an Argentinian national, and Annie (Nancy) Suarez, nee Berry, an Englishwoman. He was educated at a School in Southampton and then at St. Edward’s School, Oxford, September 1932-July 1935, where he was an Exhibitioner. After leaving school he trained as a Solicitor. Living in England for most of his life, he applied to become a British Citizen in 1940. In the latter part of the war, he joined the Royal Air Force, being appointed a Flying Officer on 8 January 1944 with the Administrative and Special Duties Branch. He was discharged to the Reserve in 1947. He died in 2003.

His father, Pablo Suarez, was a noted yachtsman, being a committee member of the Yacht Club Argentino. A frequent visitor to England, he was well known in Southampton yachting circles. He was the owner of the 12-Meter Yacht Rafaga, built in 1908. He married Englishwoman, Annie Berry, daughter of Mr W. Berry, a former Chief Constable of Southampton, and together they had one son. Pablo Suarez (Senior) died of pneumonia in 1924.

Papers relating to Pablo Geoffrey Suarez include a story, ‘On the Deep’ written by the young Suarez in 1927; Royal Drawing Society Certificate, 1927; St. Edward’s School Confirmation Service Sheet, listing Suarez as a member of Sing’s House; a letter written by the Warden of St. Edward’s School concerning his citizenship and fitness to serve in the Army, 1940; medal forwarding slip (unmarked), and five portrait photographs (two in uniform).

Together with a large number of letters, with stamped envelopes, sent to Miss Nancy Berry, living at ‘Riversdale, Barnstaple, Devon’; many others sent by Pablo Suarez (Senior) from Argentina to his wife in England, 1922, addressed to her at ‘Tower House, Albion Terrace, Southampton’; together with letters relating to her husband’s death in 1924; several yachting magazines and papers relating to Pablo Suarez (Senior) - some with pictures; several manuscript stories written by Mrs Suarez later in life; together with miscellaneous cards, postcards, telegrams, photographs and other papers; the whole nicely contained in five ring-bound folders. With some photocopied research.